Eddy Aguirre, Studio Fit Life

Eddy Aguirre’s journey as a personal trainer and movement coach began with a love of sports and the human body. After moving to the United States as a child from Guatemala and excelling in anatomy and physiology, Eddy pursued a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and gained experience working with athletes as a volunteer in the training room. With additional certifications in Corrective Exercise, Nutrition, TRX, and Olympic Weightlifting, Eddy became a personal trainer in 2012. In 2014, he discovered Z-Health Performance, which allowed him to assess movement and create personalized programs that integrate the body and brain. As his client base grew, Eddy focused on understanding how each person’s body moves and responds to different environments, with the goal of helping them move efficiently and pain-free. His passion, empathy, and integrity drove him to find new ways to help his clients, and eventually led him to start his own business. With the help of a business coach and client in need of spinal fusion surgery, Eddy developed a 6-week movement and strengthening program that ultimately allowed the client to walk again and avoid surgery.

In March of 2020, upon the onset of COVID-19, everyone at the gym he worked at was furloughed. About four months later, all of his clients from the gym began reaching out to him to trainer at home, virtual, or at the park. The demand for his services moved him to convert his 150 square foot garage into a temporary studio and officially launch Studio Fit Life. After being in business for a year, investing in equipment and the influx of clients, Eddy needed to explore  options for a permanent space and capital. His search returned a great location in Oakland’s Lake Merritt neighborhood. However, he was not as successful with the lending options, as lenders required  two years of being in business. After finalizing his full business plan and budget, his business coach referred him to Pacific Community Ventures (PCV) and encouraged him to apply for a loan.

At the time of his PCV application, Eddy had saved $50,000 and received $25,000 from family and friends. Two weeks after his application, Eddy received a $100,000, 0% interest loan from PCV through the Oakland Fund , registered for Business Advising services through PCV, and signed the lease for his new space in November 2021. The build out for the Studio Fit location began in December 2021 and the official opening took place in March 2022. The opportunity to receive affordable capital and business advising from PCV helped elevate Studio Fit to the next level. When asked how his business advising partnership is going, Eddy stated “The partnership is going well. I got a lot of great feedback from my advisor on marketing and developing a presence online to make it easier for people to locate the business on Google and Yelp. We have even generated QR codes for clients to scan to leave reviews.”

Eddy has goals of working with younger athletes while growing Studio Fit into a larger space. Currently operating out of a 2,800 square foot facility, his goal is to grow into a 10,000 square foot facility. Additionally, as the brand grows, he hopes to continue to help as many people increase their physical activity, while teaching them about the human body and neurology of movement. Eddy aspires to hire more people in the future to assist with operations and training.  

Contact Info for Eddy Aguirre
Website: https://www.studiofitlife.com/ 
Email Address: eddy@studiofitlife.com
Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/studiofitlifeoakland/